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Marit Jensson
Marit Jensson (born July 9, 3225 in Llwybr Hawl) was a Dranian politician (Grand National Party). She served as the Minister for Environment and Tourism of Dranland for 40 years. From 3278 to 3283, she was also the Chairwoman of her party. Life Marit Jensson was born in Llwybr Hawl in 3225, her father being a writer and her mother a local politician. After she graduated from High School in 3243, she moved to Iglesia Mayor to study Journalism and Psychology at the famous First Private Dranian University. To fund her studies, she worked as a journalist at the Dranian Herald, a conservative newspaper published throughout the nation. She soon became known for her political essays, which also revealed her libertarian ideology. In March 3243, she decided to join the newly-founded Grand National Party and gave up her job to run for a seat in Parliament in her home constituency. Parallel to that, she was appointed as Minister for Environment and Tourism in the Shadow Cabinet of GNP Chairwoman Larissa LeCoultre. In 3245, she also became the GNP's Party Secretary, as her predecessor Lance McCaughlin was suspended by Chairwoman LeCoultre after a newspaper published racist statements he had made prior to his career in the GNP. In the elections of 3246, which resulted in a clear GNP victory, Marit Jensson won the election in her constituency and assumed a seat in the parliament. In January 3247, she was appointed Minister for Environment and Tourism by the new Prime Minister Larissa LeCoultre. During her tenure, she drafted a vast ecological reform introducing skeptical and anti-environmentalist policies, such as the abolition of the national park system and governmental subsidies for renewable energy. In a speech to members of the National Chamber of Commerce, she remarked with regards to her reform: "Businesses have been crippled by rigorous environmental standards and restrictions for way too long. I can assure you that the ecological policy of the new administration will aim to repeal these measures and replace them with pro-business legislations." In the following years, she maintained her anti-environmentalist course and voted against re-establishing the national park system, which would in her opinion "restrict the use of our national resources". She also continued to meet with business leaders rather than NGOs or other ecological organizations. Due to her controversial image in the electorate, it was first unclear if the new GNP Chairman Jack Caddock would dump her or involve her in his cabinet after the elections of 3254. Eventually, she remained in her position after GNP icon and former Prime Minister Larissa LeCoultre publically praised her and her policies. After the elections of 3262, GNP leader Luigi Delgado announced that he wishes her to remain in her position and renewed her mandate. In 3267, she presented the National Tourism Initiative, which aimed to build 500 luxury hotels on public lands across the country, funded by private investors. The plan was seen controversial and caused protests, but was appreciated by economists. In 3273, she blocked a bill by the PDM that would have put a ban on hunting endangered animals. She stated that she would favor the current legislation, which makes this issue a responsibility of local governments. After the elections of 3278, Jensson assumed the position of Chairwoman of the GNP on an interim basis after Prime Minister Gerardo Gutierrez announced his resignation after the GNP suffered a setback in the federal elections of that year. However, unlike all former GNP leaders, she stated that she would not intend to seek a term as Prime Minister of Dranland. She also said that she would not run in the internal leadership elections scheduled to be held in 3280. In 3281, she approved Jong Won-Hee as the GNP candidate for the throne, at the suggestion of Lee Jong-Kyu. However, when the GNP renounced the annual party convention in 3280 due to the controversies about the monarchy, Jensson decided to stay in office as a link between the republican and the monarchist wing of the GNP. She managed to acquire a unified position of her party by speaking out in favour of an elective monarchy. In 3283, she held a speech to the International Monarchist League to explain the position of the Dranish government to its members. In August 3283, she was succeeded by Eric Crawford as party chairman. She remained Minister for Environment and Tourism until 3287. During her last tenure, she spoke out against subsidies for renewable energy and opposed restrictions on industrial pollution, which she believed would hinder economic growth and job creation. After leaving the cabinet, she remained a Member of the Parliament. She is believed to having shifted Dranland's ecological policies radically, replacing previous environmentalist policies with pro-business legislation. She remained an MP until December 3299, when she left politics, at the same time as her close friend and ally Larissa LeCoultre. Blessed with formidable health, she lived to witness the centennial celebrations for in 3346 remembering the GNP's first political victory in 3246, when it swept the elections led by Larissa LeCoultre. Jensson died later that year from extreme old age at the age of 121. She was the last living member of the founder generation of the Grand National Party. Political Views On social issues, Marit Jensson was very liberal: She supported gay marriage and took a pro-choice stance on abortion. On fiscal and economic issues, however, she was a typical conservative and espoused capitalist economic policies as well as massive tax cuts for corporations and people. In her own area, the ecology, she took a very skeptical position. For example, she did not believe in Global Warming and Climate Change and considered this theory a "veritable hoax". She also opposed pollution standards or a cap-and-trade system for CO2-reduction and repeatedly called such measures "counterproductive" and "anti-business". Controversies Due to her anti-environmentalist policy, she was heavily criticized by several environmental pressure groups and NGOs. The Chairman of the Dranish League for Conservation (DLC) accused her of "putting the interests of businesses above public interest and the preservation of the enviroment". She was also slammed by the renewable energy lobby for her policies, because she abolished subsidies and tax incentives for certain ways of energy generation that were generally considered environmentally friendly, such as wind and solar energy. In a TV discussion over climate change, she called these groups "eco-fascists". Left-wing politicians and media subsequently demanded her resignation, however she declined and stated that she would "not surrender due to some special interests of dubious organizations". Category:Dranian people Category:Libertarianism Category:Liberalism Category:Grand National Party (Dranland) politicians Category:GNP leaders